Gold Rush is an entirely new level featuring a new gameplay style called Payload. The level is split into three separate areas with intermediate capture zones inside of each major chapter. The teams are split between offense (Blu) and defense (Red) similar to Dustbowl. The goal for the Blu team is to push the bomb payload through the level until it reaches the next capture point, eventually destroying all three of Red's major bases. Blu pushes the cart through the level by standing near it, with the cart moving faster when more people are close by. If no one has pushed the cart forward after 30 seconds, the cart will begin to move backward until it is pushed forward again.

Gold Rush is a map that specifically focuses on pacing so that the player feels like they are part of an overall campaign by the team. Each member of the team needs to focus on both the overall goal of either stopping or advancing the payload and also deal with local threats. As the payload moves through the map both teams need to be able to adjust their strategy depending on what approach the other is taking. Gold Rush has been designed taking all nine classes and their abilities in Team Fortress 2 into account, which means there is a spot for everyone and their favorite class to be useful.

For long-time Team Fortress fans it should evoke feelings of both Dustbowl, in terms of layout and team goals, and Hunted, as it has a central objective that forces the battlefield to move through the map dynamically.

Stand near the cart, it moves forward.

Move it past all the capture points to win.

You can edit the loadout of any class.

This player has earned a new medic item, and has equipped "the Blutsauger".

Choosing a loadout for the Medic.

When you've acquired a new item, you'll get a message like this one. You can then go to the loadout screens to equip your new stuff.

This update will also mark the beginning of the most significant change we'll be making to Team Fortress 2 over the next year. Beginning first with the medic, players will be able to earn three unique items by earning some or all of the new Medic achievements coming in this update. These three unique items will allow players to have new choices as to how they play the class, as well as have a new impact and benefit to the team they play on. After this initial release we'll be quickly adding unique items for the remaining eight classes.

For players that earn one third of the 36 new medic achievements, they will be given a new syringe gun, called “The Blutsauger”. This new weapon no longer has the ability to score critical hits against an opponent, instead it will draw health from enemies each time a syringe hits -- making it especially useful as a weapon to retreat away from the fight while staying alive. Once a medic has earned two thirds of the achievements, they will be granted “The Kritzkrieg” This new medigun uses its Ubercharge not for invulnerability, but to give its recipient 100% chance to fire critical ordinance. Medics and the player they are charging need to be careful though, because as much fun as it is to fire critical rockets as fast as you can, the other team will see what you're up to and try to put a quick stop to your plan.

For the determined medic that has earned all 36 of the new achievements, they will find themselves the proud owner of “The Ubersaw” which will take damage dealt through melee attacks and convert it directly to Ubercharge. Four hits with this new weapon will fully charge whatever medigun the Medic has equipped.

Midwife Crisis: Heal an Engineer as he repairs his Sentrygun while it's under enemy fire.

Ubi concordia, ibi victoria: Assist in killing 5 enemies on an enemy control point, in a single life.

Grand Rounds: Heal 200 teammates after they've called for "Medic!".

Infernal Medicine: Extinguish 100 burning teammates.

Doctor Assisted Homicide: Assist in killing 20 nemeses.

Placebo Effect: Kill 5 enemies in a single life, while having your Uber-Charge ready, but undeployed.

Sawbones: Hit enemies with your bonesaw 5 times in a row without dying or missing.

Intern: Accumulate 7000 heal points in a single life.

Specialist: Accumulate 10000 heal points health in a single life.

Chief Of Staff: Accumulate 1 million total heal points.

Hypocritical Oath: Kill an enemy Spy that you have been healing.

Medical Intervention: Save a falling teammate from dying on impact.

Second Opinion: Uber-Charge 2 teammates at once.

Autopsy Report: Provide an enemy with a freezecam shot of you taunting above their ragdoll.

FYI I Am A Medic: Use your bonesaw to kill 5 enemy Spies who have been calling for "Medic!".

Family Practice: Uber-charge ten of your Steam Community Friends.

House Call: Join a game that one of your friends is in and then deploy an Uber-Charge on him.

Bedside Manner: Be healing a teammate as he achieves an achievement of his own.

First Do No Harm: Play a full round without killing any enemies, and score the highest on a team of 6 or more players.